both fighting gem and sdef investment are really ALL about the sweep. modern offense often does not have more than one thing that can eat +2 mach punch, survive and KO breloom back. fighting gem gives you that little extra OOMPH you need to run over that one thing, and suddenly your opponent's team is open to cleaning. the bulk investment in lavos's set lets breloom take particular attacks (see the post) and NOT die, allowing it to set up or survive being checked just once. in both cases, once is often all it takes.

the two things synergize well with each other too, because if you run life orb with bulk investment, you'll end up dying to LO recoil after taking hits on that bulk, and will probably fail to sweep =/ even when loom is heavily invested in bulk (eg specially defensive substitute/poison heal looms i've tried on stall before), it tends to take damage really fast, unless it's resisted or coming from a relatively underinvested attacker. LO would just murder you after that. lefties is an option, of course, but fight gem provides a middle ground, you don't take damage from LO but you still get a useful offensive boost

biggest caveat of the reduced speed imo is losing to mamoswine's ice shard (you no longer outspeed it with mach punch T_T this happened to me once), since really the mach punch is the most important thing. it also makes it a bit tougher to throw around bullet seed against offensive teams, but that shouldn't be a crushing problem when you've got a +2 mach punch in your hands

i imagine the bulk also helps against defensive teams but honestly i'm not sure if you need it; i have less experience using shrang's set where as i have played around with lavos's in the post quoted above.

oh and yeah of course to lum on SD, lets you take random scald burns n shit =P it's pretty standard stuff for most physical boosters, no? i got nothing as to which slash position it should be though. btw SDS you still have CB slashed on the item slot of the SD set

I think you could slash in Protect + Drain Punch over Substitute + Focus Punch on the Leech Seed set. The former is really useful for many reasons; whenever you face two really common leads, Rotom-W or Politoed, you can activate your Toxic Orb safely without fear of being burned by Will-o-Wisp / Scald respectively. It also helps you gain Poison Heal and Leech Seed recovery while scouting Choiced mons. As for Drain Punch, I like it over Focus Punch for not only extra healing, but also because it's a good STAB move that doesn't require a Sub up for it to work. I also prefer a full Specially Defensive spread, as it lets you do some pretty great things like live an Ice Beam/Flamethrower from the ever-common Genesect lead so you can Spore it, while switching into Politoed/Rotom-W more comfortably. It can even do cool stuff like live a Life Orb Hidden Power Ice from Thundurus-T with 30% to spare. My two cents.

ok hello, this right here is the best breloom set, fight gem is far superior to life orb for so many reasons, most notably of which is the massive damage it does to stuff that likes to switch into it. for example,

latios being the favored switch-in to breloom after it spores something, assuming it goes for the SD on the switch, meaning all you really have to do is make latios take a couple layers of rocks, after that it's gg assuming your opponent doesn't have a secondary breloom check, and even if he does you've still done some serious work to his team. 1 pokemon asleep, another one dead, a third probably taking some mach punch damage. evs let loom live a life orb icy wind from keldeo, as well as jolly terrakion's close combat. kickass spread if i do say so myself, thanks to princess bri for it.

give fighting gem a shot, it's better than life orb because it nets that one kill that's always inhibiting breloom from sweeping.

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A big AC mention for Fighting Gem and special-bulky spread is needed, imo.

Also GaryTheGengar's Art of Peer Pressure showcases the utility of Breloom as a Sash lead, and it's quite clever and effective. I suggest AC mentioning Focus Sash on the Swords Dance set.

I'd slash on Leftovers on bulky Breloom as well. It's bulky enough to take a moderate hit, while Spore will generally give you some Leftovers recovery. For the spread, I prefer 232 HP / 252 Atk / 24 Spe Adamant. 24 Speed to outspeed max Speed Wobbuffet. With 232 HP, you can take a non-boosted Jolly Haxorus's Outrage (81.19% - 95.92%), which is "not bad". On the special side, you can also take a non-LO Ice Beam from Starmie (81.50% - 96.55%), which is also "not bad".

GaryTheGengar's Art of Peer Pressure showcases the utility of Breloom as a Sash lead, and it's quite clever and effective. I suggest AC mentioning Focus Sash on the Swords Dance set.

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What does focus sash actually do for Breloom? This RMT claims it has a good match-up against lead Terrakion but I wouldn't really consider getting knocked to sash just to take out an SR lead as effective given how precious mach punch priority can be. He also claims it beats ScarfToed, which is only at 12.3% usage. If you haven't spored something else yet then it can be used to cripple, Torn-T, sure, but outside of that incredibly situational use, I don't really see the point.

Also worth noting that the 68 HP / 224 Atk / 216 Spd EV spread is guaranteed to live Lead Terrakion CC, and lives ScarfToed Ice Beam 75% of the time whilst actually having a slot for an item thats not completely worthless when rocks go up or when your opponent is using sand. If you really want to mess with Tornadus-T then Jolly w/ Low Sweep is actually probably more reliable as you are more likely to catch a Torn-T on the switch-in than you are to have a 100% Breloom vs Tornadus mid-game.

Actually its probably even more important to note that the only teams Sash Breloom should be used on anyway is weatherless offense or rain itself, so what is the big deal about always beating ScarfToed 1v1 anyway? If you needed to win the weather war then I'd see some merit but you really shouldn't be using sash breloom on sand or sun whatsoever.

So vs top leads (from october stats):

Politoed: 68 HP LO/Gem Breloom beats 95% of the time anyway. Only loses if ScarfToed gets a high damage roll (25% chance).

Genesect: They'll probably U-Turn anyway, and then you are left with a weak breloom. If they Ice beam then yeah, you win.

Tyranitar: Bye sash!

Ninetales: You spore this but is that really a big deal? You are very likely using this Breloom on weatherless in which case Ninetales is death fodder anyway. If you are using it on rain then why aren't you just leading with Politoed and using Hydro Pump / Toxic?

Ferrothorn: LO / Fight Gem does just as well, if not better.

Deoxys-D: No difference. If anything LO is better so you get the guaranteed 2HKO with Bullet Seed (assuming 6 hits total, which is less than average)

Rotom-W: No difference. LO is better anyway since it guarantees an OHKO on SDef Rotom-W when burnt with 4 hits from Bullet Seed. Sash Breloom needs 5 hits.

Forretress: No difference here.

Ninjask: You are set-up fodder regardless.

So yeah, I'm not really seeing a team archetype that sash breloom matches-up any better against than Fight Gem or LO. Against the vast majority, its actually worse.

And while I'm on the subject of sash,

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I really don't think it has a place on any analysis except for Pokemon that are dedicated and effective leads (i.e. Terrakion, Azelf etc), Dugtrio, and Alakazam. Its a gimmick at best, just because Taylor has used it successfully does not mean it needs a mention imo. Another example I saw recently was Genesect, with the only real basis for it to be added was "because Taylor uses it" and it apparently beats opposing lead Genesect. Its ineffective at beating opposing Genesect because there's an incredibly high chance they will switch-out regardless, and even if they do stay in there is also a high chance they will U-Turn. Not to mention hazards become the #1 priority for most people once they see Genesect in team preview anyway. I'm not saying sash on some of these Pokemon is completely unusable, because there will be teams where it has its merits, but there is no denying that they are a gimmick at best and in the vast majority of situations, another item would be better.

At least Taylor uses Sash on mons who are at sandstorm immune though! If you want to add a Focus Sash mention here then I see no reason why Volcarona, Latios and Keldeo shouldn't get one too!

Valid points, for sure, but I'm only asking it to be AC mentioned; no bigger emphasis than that. Unlike Latios, Keldeo, and to a lesser extent Volcarona, Breloom is frail, and Sash does at least ensure that Breloom would be able to put something to sleep / set up Swords Dance. Yes, it's not good against Sand / Hail teams, and it requires Rapid Spin support, but it's still a viable alternative (albeit less effective), if you happen to want to use Breloom in a suicidal set-up manner (kinda like Sash Shell Smash Cloyster).

Slash in force palm on some of the technician sets. 90BP fighting with 30% chance to paralyze is nothing to sneeze at.

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It's on Additional Comments, but it's not slashed because an attack that lets Breloom outspeed all pokémon that are slower than Timid Jolteon (That are not immune to Fighting or Speed drops, of course) 100% of the time is more reliable than an attack with a 30% chance of paralysis, as TechniLoom is looking for the KO

Is there any reason that the Physical Attacker has Jolly as its preferred nature, and the Swords Dance set has Adamant as its preferred nature? I was just curious about this because it makes sense to have the Physical Attacker have Jolly Nature as its primary nature if you are running Stone Edge so you can nail Tornados-T, but then Spore is listed over Stone Edge. Otherwise I think that most players would prefer an Adamant nature on it because it does have Low Sweep to negate the speed issue. Again, I was really just curious about the reasoning for this and I was really wondering this for consistency sake.

Edit: Also Mamoswine is a pretty shaky check as if Breloom is Jolly, and Mamoswine is not, Breloom can OHKO with Mach Punch and Stealth Rocks (with Life Orb, CB will always OHKO without Stealth Rocks). On the other hand, even if Mamoswine is Jolly He will never OHKO Breloom from full health unless he is carrying Choice Band, and even then he will only OHKO 43.75% of the time. I think that it would be important to specify Jolly Momoswine as the check, and even then have Breloom take a little prior damage. In general checks to Breloom tend to be Pokemon that resist Mach Punch, and are faster special attackers (maybe mention that in checks and counters). It is really up to you what you want to include, because the checks is probably fine as is.

On the physical Attacker, mention that with Life Orb and a Jolly nature, 2 Low Sweep + Stealth Rock deals enough damage to KO standard Tornadus-T (25 + 38 + 38 = 101% minimum damage)
Also, I miss any mentions of Jellicent and Heatran as partners for Breloom, performing a great FWG-Core, also with great secondary types, so most effective moves aimed on Breloom can be sponged by these two.
One last thing: I noticed on my playtests, that with Life Orb and 3 attacks, Breloom greatly appreciates Wish support (from the likes of Vaporeon and Jirachi), as residual damage rack up extremely fast there.

Moderator

I realize that Breloom's main attribute is access to Spore, but would a CB set be viable at all? I mean, that could be way off basis, but CB Mach Punch actually would hit with the exact same power as Scizor's Bullet Punch.

I realize that Breloom's main attribute is access to Spore, but would a CB set be viable at all? I mean, that could be way off basis, but CB Mach Punch actually would hit with the exact same power as Scizor's Bullet Punch.

I will agree to only add my own biased Rock Tomb suggestion to the Life Orb set if the majority of actual QC accept it, otherwise, I will take the rest of it over as it stands now, and leave my other opinions out of this.

Moderator

<p>Breloom's ability roster is the gift that keeps on giving. In Generation 3, it was saddled with poor defenses, a near-worthless ability, and a branding as a bit of a one-trick pony. Granted, it was a neat trick, but it just didn't cut it. Generation 4 gave it Poison Heal, which is everything that it could have ever wanted- —status absorption, healing for substitutes, and a ridiculous amount of healing on Leech Seed sets. However, Generation 5 really turned it up a notch, granting it two boons: a buffed 25 Base Power Bullet Seed, and Technician, which not only gives it a priority attack rivaling Scizor's devastating Bullet Punch, but also powerful Low Sweep and the aforementioned Bullet Seed.</p>

<p>As a result, Breloom is one of the gold standards of power in Generation 5. With Technician, Breloom basically 2HKOs the metagame with Choice Band or Life Orb. Technician Bullet Seed has the potential to be literally the strongest attack in the metagame, a 187.5 BP attack coming off of 394 Attack. Compounding that is Technician Low Sweep, which gives Breloom a free second attack against many faster opponents switching in. Combine this with Swords Dance, and cap it with Spore and Generation 5's sleep mechanics, and Breloom is a serious force to be reckoned with. And for those with a touch of nostalgia, it's still as threatening as ever with its vicious Poison Heal sets, which can be incredibly tough to crack.</p>

<p>It's not all roses for Breloom, though. Despite these advances, very little had happened to offset its significant weaknesses. 70 base Speed is a serious problem for it, as there are a number of significant Fighting resistances that outspeed it. Combine that with barely passable 60 / 80 / 60 defenses, and Breloom can be a bit tough to handle. When used well, it's a devastating force. If used carelessly, it can be nearly useless.</p>

<p>When you talk about terrifying physical attackers in OU, this set is one of the first that leaps to mind. The raw power of an item-boosted Low Sweep is seriously intimidating, doubly so when you consider that Low Sweep rules out a long list of would-be counters by virtue of its speed-reducing property. Would-be counters like Latios, Tornadus-T, Starmie, and others quickly find themselves unable to do their job when crippled by Low Sweep. Mach Punch gives it a burst of immediate power against speedy threats like Terrakion and Hydreigon, while Bullet Seed gives it the potential of unparalleled power with an attack capable of reaching 187.5 base power. Spore caps the set off, as any Pokemon capable of sponging these attacks still has to contend with the threat of sleep, rendering it helpless against Breloom's assaults. On the flip side, if Choiced Spore isn't your cup of tea, Stone Edge gives it a way to threaten Tornadus-T immediately on the switch, and also provides excellent neutral coverage alongside its STABs.</p>

<p>This set comes in two flavors: Life Orb and Choice Band. While Choice Band has the edge in raw power, Life Orb makes up for it with versatility. Life Orb can 2HKO troublesome Pokemon like Starmie with Low Sweep into Bullet Seed, but Choice Band can simply 2HKO Pokemon like Latios as they switch in without a second thought. In general, Choice Band rewards prediction more, while Life Orb is a bit easier to use, and is more equipped to handle unforeseen circumstances.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>With a Pokemon like this, there's little need to get fancy with EV spreads- —a simple 4 / 252 / 252 will suffice. The choice of nature, however, is a bit more complex. Jolly is most important on the Life Orb set, as it allows Breloom to not only outspeed notable threats like Tornadus-T and Starmie after a Low Sweep, but also gives it the edge against Adamant Mamoswine to beat it out with Mach Punch. However, Adamant gives Low Sweep some much-needed bite, allowing the Choice Band set to secure some much-needed 2HKOs without having to switch moves.</p>

<p>There are some alternative choices for the fourth moveslot. Thunderpunch is not only the most powerful attack against Skarmory, but it also absolutely obliterates Gyarados. Rock Tomb can operate as an analogue to Low Sweep, catching Tornadus-T and others with a Rock-type attack and then still having the options given by the guaranteed speed drop. However, its low power makes it unappealing, and the utility of Spore often far outweighs it. Force Palm is an option over Low Sweep, giving Breloom a bit more of a supporting role. While it lacks the reliability of Low Sweep, it gains a 30% chance to paralyze any would-be Breloom counter, crippling them for the rest of the game. Finally, if sustaining Breloom is your primary concern, Drain Punch is an option. While its Base Power increase renders it unaffected by Technician, it's still a STAB 75 BP attack, and its healing can be invaluable when up against teams that either stack entry hazards or boast numerous weak attacks for Breloom to come in on.</p>

<p>This set is easy to fit onto many teams, though Gothitelle is probably its most effective ally. Many of Breloom's primary counters can be dealt with by Gothitelle, and with Shadow Tag providing trapping power, a successful Gothitelle play can make Breloom's life much easier. Breloom also forces a lot of switches, making entry hazards extremely potent. Stealth Rock is a must to help chip away at Tornadus-T with Regenerator, while Spikes can make dealing with Celebi a significantly easier task. Given the raw power of this set, entry hazards can be the difference between a safe 2HKO and an unsafe 3HKO. Finally, some solid Rapid Spin support can be invaluable given Breloom's inability to heal itself. Starmie is a good choice, as it resists Psychic and Fire, and can also sweep if opponents like Latios find themselves weakened or eliminated.</p>

<p>While the last set represents turn 1 dominance, this set provides utterly unparalleled power after a single turn of setup; setup which is easily secured via Spore. After a Swords Dance, Breloom is sitting on 788 Attack. Combine that with a Technician Mach Punch, or an utterly terrifying 5-hit Bullet Seed, and there's very little that Breloom can't break through. Spore makes it easy to set up a Swords Dance, and once it's set up, it's pretty hard to stop.</p>

<p>Despite being a setup sweeper, Breloom still packs one hell of a punch without the setup. Even if it's hard to get a Swords Dance or Spore in, it still provides the power of a Life Orb Mach Punch, which can mean the difference between life and death when you're staring down the likes of a fully set up Terrakion. Likewise, a Bullet Seed can take down nearly anything if it gets enough hits, and if the opponent is expecting a Swords Dance after a Spore, they can be in for a rude awakening with a little prediction.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This Breloom is all about raw offense, and it's got a spread to match. Maximizing Speed and Attack is crucial to the success of this set, and the Adamant nature is used to secure KOs with Mach Punch that would otherwise be out of reach. Jolly is an option as well, as it works well to hit some faster defensively -oriented Pokemon with Bullet Seed, or secure the Spore needed to set up. Life Orb gives this set much-needed power, as it's very much a "kill or be killed" kind of set. However, Lum Berry can open up some options for sweeping where Life Orb wouldn't, especially when the only option for setting up is getting a Swords Dance against something spamming Scald.</p>

<p>As this set aims to sweep, it is of the utmost importance that faster Fighting resists are eliminated. Again, Gothitelle can be an extremely potent ally, as its high Special Defense can allow it to eliminate some potential threats, such as Celebi, Tornadus-T, Starmie, and Latios. Entry hazards are also once again incredibly important, as even with a Technician boost, Mach Punch is still only 60 Base Power. Deoxys-D is probably the best and most efficient spiker in the metagame, especially for offensive teams, which are the most likely to use a Breloom set like this one. Finally, U-turn or Volt Switch users can be extremely effective, as they can help bring Breloom in at the perfect time when it is most likely to sweep effectively.</p>

<p>While not its most effective set, Scarf Breloom can be quite the potent threat. Boasting the fastest Ssleep in OU, as well as an incredibly powerful Bullet Seed, Breloom can shut down a number of threats that can otherwise be troublesome to deal with. It can also spread paralysis with Force Palm since Low Sweep's main utility is offset by Choice Scarf, or it can surprise some especially quick foes with Scarf Low Sweep., such as sScarfed variants of fast Pokemon like Latios. Finally, Stone Edge caps off its coverage and makes it an effective Pokemon for dealing with and eliminating Tornadus-T and Dragonite.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set is very straightforward, and it has an EV spread to match. Offense is maximized, and a Jolly nature allows Breloom to outspeed every Pokemon below 130 base Speed, which has dwindled as an important speed tier. Move-wise, it's also very straightforward. All of Breloom's other move options are rather low power, especially Mach Punch, which is extremely redundant with that Choice Scarf, and there's little else in the movepool that goes well with the set.</p>

<p>As with every Breloom set, Gothitelle can unlock its true offensive potential by busting through Pokemon that would otherwise counter Breloom. It also appreciates entry hazards, which can help this relatively weak Breloom set secure some important OHKOs and 2HKOs. Other than that, however, this Breloom needs very little coddling, playing much more of a supportive role than other sets.</p>

<p>This set is a blast from the past. While 60 / 80 / 60 defenses may not seem like the most effective, Breloom's incredible defensive typing makes it more than capable of taking hits from some top Pokemon in OU. Combine this with the buff to Ssleep in Generation 5, as well as Poison Heal and Substitute, and Breloom can easily prove itself to be far tougher to kill than its stat spread would implysuggest.</p>

<p>Spore is a must-have on pretty much every Breloom set, as it is the only 100% accuracy Ssleep move in the game, and with Generation 5's sleep mechanics, a Pokemon put to sleep often might as well be KOed. Leech Seed goes a long way to bolster Breloom's survivability, allowing it to wear down opponents while simultaneously refilling its own life. Substitute compounds this by allowing Breloom to scout switches and stall out Pokemon affected by Leech Seed. It also works especially well on this set due to the significant healing from Leech Seed and Poison Heal. Finally, Focus Punch rounds out the set. Even though this set has no deoffensive investment, it still reaches 296 Attack, and when that's combined with a STAB 150 Base Power attack like Focus Punch, it gives a defensive set like this one some vicious power.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The defensive investment on this set makes it surprisingly durable. It can take many U-turns in the metagame with ease, and its resistance to Volt Switch also pays off, making Breloom an excellent counter to Volt-Turn chains. 236 HP EVs give Breloom 320 HP, which is divisible by 8, giving it maximum healing from Poison Heal. Defense is maximized, and then the rest is put into Speed.</p>

<p>This set does have a number of notable counters that need to be eliminated for this set to function optimally. Gliscor is incredibly hard to deal with for this set, as Poison Heal makes it immune to Spore and counteracts Leech Seed's damage. It also resists Focus Punch, and takes barely any damage from it. As such, it's important to have a teammate that can either deal with it or lure it in and kill it. Expert Belt Landorus is especially effective as a teammate since it can lure in Gliscor and dispatch it with Hidden Power Ice. It can also deal with another major counter, Celebi, with U-Turn. Additionally, Mamoswine sometimes carries Icicle Spear, which will break through the Substitute and prevent Focus Punch from going off.</p>

<p>While the previous set is more defensively oriented, this set is all power. A Max Attack Adamant Focus Punch from Breloom is one of the most vicious attacks in the game, capable of OHKOing most anything that doesn't resist it, and even 2HKOing many Pokemon that do. While this set sacrifices durability somewhat, the increased offensive power and additional coverage makes it much more threatening offensively.</p>

<p>Spore is here as always, as Ssleep allows Breloom to set up for free while also incapacitating whatever the opponent switches in. Substitute gives Breloom the buffer that it needs to fire off its powerful STAB Focus Punch, and works well with Poison Heal to heal off the damage. Focus Punch turns Breloom's targets into a fine red mist, and is a huge part of why this set is so threatening behind a Substitute. The last move is used to provide coverage and give Breloom a way to attack without a Substitute up. Seed Bomb is secondary STAB, and also allows Breloom to do incredible damage to threatening opponents such as Gastrodon, Hippowdon, and Sableye. It also hits Jellicent, which is immune to Focus Punch. Stone Edge is most notable for eliminating Tornadus-T, but is also effective for taking down Dragonite and Salamence. Facade is the most powerful third option after the boost from Poison, and does solid damage to Gliscor, Landorus-T, Celebi, and Latias, but leaves Breloom entirely helpless against Ghost-types.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread on this set is simple. Attack is maximized for optimal damage output, and 12 HP gives Breloom an HP value divisible by 8 for Poison Heal. The rest is placed into Speed in order to allow Breloom to outspeed uninvested base 100s, as well as some uninvested or low-investment mid-speed Pokemon such as Rotom-W, Dragonite, and Heatran.</p>

<p>As with all Breloom sets, Gliscor and Celebi give this set hell. Expert Belt Landorus is an amazing partner for this reason, as it can potentially lure both of them by bluffing Choice Scarf Earthquake and then dispatching them with Hidden Power Ice and U-Tturn, respectively. There are also a number of Pokemon that can cause problems depending on the choice of third attack. Without Stone Edge, Dragonite can be a major issue, so pairing itBreloom up with something that can eliminate Dragonite is a good idea. Landorus fits this bill nicely, and Bronzong can do the same while also providing Stealth Rock for the team. With Facade, it's important to have a check to Ghost-types, as it leaves Breloom completely unable to damage them. As such, including a strong Pursuit user on your team such as Tyranitar or Scizor can be important.

[OTHER OPTIONS]

<p>While Breloom does pack a bit of a move kiddy-pool, it's still got a couple of useful options. Even with Technician, Superpower is the strongestecond most powerful Fighting-type move that Breloom has, even after Technicianonly weaker than Focus Punch. However, it can also be a bit of a liability, as it weakens Breloom and renders it more susceptible to revenge killing, as well as forcing it to switch more often. Wake-Up Slap is a cute gimmick, especially with Technician. It's still got 90 base power, but when used against a sleeping opponent it gets bumped up to 120. This makes it gimmicky but semi-effective to finish off sleeping opponents quickly, though it's almost always outclassed by both Low Sweep and Force Palm, which provide far more immediate utility. Rock Tomb is potentially usable, but its low 75 Base Power after Technician makes it a questionable choice for any serious set. Finally, there's Ddouble Ppowder. While paralysis is incredibly crippling, and Spore does tend to force switches, it's better to leave the powdering to Amoonguss, which is far more cut out for it. Breloom doesn't need to double powder- —once it Spores something, it can move on to killing off bigger and better things.</p>

[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]

<p>Technician and Poison Heal Breloom have largely different counters, but there are some notable common ones. Celebi is the ultimate counter- —not only does it outspeed Breloom, but it also resists both of its STABs, has Natural Cure to heal off Spore, commonly carries Psychic or Hidden Power Ice to dispatch Breloom, and is essentially impossible for Breloom to break down. Along the same lines, Amoonguss is extremely bulky, resists both STABs, and can simply switch out to heal off all of the damage it takes. On top of that, its super effective Poison STAB easily eliminates Breloom. Latias is faster, can hit it hard with Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor, and resists both STABs. However, it's a bit riskier, as Life Orb variants can use Low Sweep to slow it down for Spore, while Choice Band has a chance to simply 2HKO it with Low Sweep after Stealth Rock. Finally, Gengar is a terror to all Breloom sets, resisting Bullet Seed and being immune to Mach Punch, Low Sweep, and Focus Punch. However, it has to be careful, as not only will Spore ruin its day, but its defenses are fairly low, and enough hits from Bullet Seed can put Gengar down for good.</p>

<p>On to the Technician-specific counters. Volcarona is one of the most notable ones, as not only does it resist Mach Punch and Low Sweep, but also has a double resistance to Bullet Seed, and can passively burn Breloom with Flame Body. However, Volcarona needs to be especially careful of Spore or Stone Edge after a Low Sweep or on the switch, so it's not foolproof. Mamoswine is faster than Breloom (guaranteed with Jolly) and can outspeed its Mach Punch with a super effective STAB Ice Shard. However, Adamant varieties can be outsped by Jolly Breloom, so when relying on Mamoswine to deal with Breloom, Jolly is a necessity. Tornadus-Therian is another extremely potent counter, as it not only resists both STABs and can dispatch it with either Air Slash or Hurricane, but it also outspeeds Adamant Breloom even at -1. It also can use Sleep Talk with almost any of its moves to KO Breloom even through Spore. Finally, Skarmory is a semi-unreliable counter. It can deal with Swords Dance variants if need be due to its high defense, but it can't switch into Low Sweep from the attacking set.</p>

<p>Poison Heal sets rely almost exclusively on Substitute, and as a result, multi-hit moves can be troublesome. Mamoswine tops this list, as its Icicle Shard can chew through Substitute and cancel Focus Punch for the defensive variant, while it has a chance to outright KO offensive variants. However, if it fails oto OHKO, it is in danger of either Spore or Seed Bomb from the offensive version. Gliscor is extremely troublesome, as Poison Heal variants are immune to Spore and take a pittance from Focus Punch and neutral Seed Bomb. Tornadus-T makes another appearance here due to Sleep Talk, though Stone Edge from the offensive variant can cause problems. Finally, Tentacruel is trouble for the defensive set due to Liquid Ooze. While it can't exactly take Focus Punches all day, it can whittle away at Breloom with its own Leech Seed or Rapid Spin it off, and its resistance to Focus Punch does give it much more of a fighting chance.</p>

<p>Breloom's ability roster is the gift that keeps on giving. In Generation 3, it was saddled with poor defenses, a near-worthless ability, and a branding as a bit of a one-trick pony. Granted, it was a neat trick, but it just didn't cut it. Generation 4 gave it Poison Heal, which is everything that it could have ever wanted—status absorption, healing for substitutes, and a ridiculous amount of healing on Leech Seed sets. However, Generation 5 really turned it up a notch, granting it two boons: a buffed 25 Base Power Bullet Seed and Technician, which not only gives it a priority attack rivaling Scizor's devastating Bullet Punch, but also powerful Low Sweep and the aforementioned Bullet Seed.</p>

<p>As a result, Breloom is one of the gold standards of power in Generation 5. With Technician, Breloom basically 2HKOs the metagame with Choice Band or Life Orb. Technician Bullet Seed has the potential to be literally the strongest attack in the metagame, a 187.5 BP attack coming off of 394 Attack. Compounding that is Technician Low Sweep, which gives Breloom a free second attack against many faster opponents switching in. Combine this with Swords Dance, and cap it with Spore and Generation 5's sleep mechanics, and Breloom is a serious force to be reckoned with. And for those with a touch of nostalgia, it's still as threatening as ever with its vicious Poison Heal sets, which can be incredibly tough to crack.</p>

<p>It's not all roses for Breloom, though. Despite these advances, very little had happened to offset its significant weaknesses. 70 base Speed is a serious problem for it, as there are a number of significant Fighting resistances that outspeed it. Combine that with barely passable 60 / 80 / 60 defenses, and Breloom can be a bit tough to handle. When used well, it's a devastating force. If used carelessly, it can be nearly useless.</p>

<p>When you talk about terrifying physical attackers in OU, this set is one of the first that leaps to mind. The raw power of an item-boosted Low Sweep is seriously intimidating, doubly so when you consider that Low Sweep rules out a long list of would-be counters by virtue of its speed-reducing property. Would-be counters like Latios, Tornadus-T, Starmie, and others quickly find themselves unable to do their job when crippled by Low Sweep. Mach Punch gives it a burst of immediate power against speedy threats like Terrakion and Hydreigon, while Bullet Seed gives it the potential of unparalleled power with an attack capable of reaching 187.5 base power. Spore caps the set off, as any Pokemon capable of sponging these attacks still has to contend with the threat of sleep, rendering it helpless against Breloom's assaults. On the flip side, if Choiced Spore isn't your cup of tea, Stone Edge gives it a way to threaten Tornadus-T immediately on the switch, and also provides excellent neutral coverage alongside its STABs.</p>

<p>This set comes in two flavors: Life Orb and Choice Band. While Choice Band has the edge in raw power, Life Orb makes up for it with versatility. Life Orb can 2HKO troublesome Pokemon like Starmie with Low Sweep into Bullet Seed, but Choice Band can simply 2HKO Pokemon like Latios as they switch in without a second thought. In general, Choice Band rewards prediction more, while Life Orb is a bit easier to use, and is more equipped to handle unforeseen circumstances.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>With a Pokemon like this, there's little need to get fancy with EV spreads—a simple 4 / 252 / 252 will suffice. The choice of nature, however, is a bit more complex. Jolly is most important on the Life Orb set, as it allows Breloom to not only outspeed notable threats like Tornadus-T and Starmie after a Low Sweep, but also gives it the edge against Adamant Mamoswine to beat it out with Mach Punch. However, Adamant gives Low Sweep some much-needed bite, allowing the Choice Band set to secure some much-needed 2HKOs without having to switch moves.</p>

<p>There are some alternative choices for the fourth moveslot. Thunderpunch is not only the most powerful attack against Skarmory, but it also absolutely obliterates Gyarados. Rock Tomb can operate as an analogue to Low Sweep, catching Tornadus-T and others with a Rock-type attack and then still having the options given by the guaranteed speed drop. However, its low power makes it unappealing, and the utility of Spore often far outweighs it. Force Palm is an option over Low Sweep, giving Breloom a bit more of a supporting role. While it lacks the reliability of Low Sweep, it gains a 30% chance to paralyze any would-be Breloom counter, crippling them for the rest of the game. Finally, if sustaining Breloom is your primary concern, Drain Punch is an option. While its Base Power increase renders it unaffected by Technician, it's still a STAB 75 BP attack, and its healing can be invaluable when up against teams that either stack entry hazards or boast numerous weak attacks for Breloom to come in on.</p>

<p>This set is easy to fit onto many teams, though Gothitelle is probably its most effective ally. Many of Breloom's primary counters can be dealt with by Gothitelle, and with Shadow Tag providing trapping power, a successful Gothitelle play can make Breloom's life much easier. Breloom also forces a lot of switches, making entry hazards extremely potent. Stealth Rock is a must to help chip away at Tornadus-T with Regenerator, while Spikes can make dealing with Celebi a significantly easier task. Given the raw power of this set, entry hazards can be the difference between a safe 2HKO and an unsafe 3HKO. Finally, some solid Rapid Spin support can be invaluable given Breloom's inability to heal itself. Starmie is a good choice, as it resists Psychic and Fire, and can also sweep if opponents like Latios find themselves weakened or eliminated.</p>

<p>While the last set represents turn 1 dominance, this set provides utterly unparalleled power after a single turn of setup; setup which is easily secured via Spore. After a Swords Dance, Breloom is sitting on 788 Attack. Combine that with a Technician Mach Punch, or an utterly terrifying 5-hit Bullet Seed, and there's very little that Breloom can't break through. Spore makes it easy to set up a Swords Dance, and once it's set up, it's pretty hard to stop.</p>

<p>Despite being a setup sweeper, Breloom still packs one hell of a punch without the setup. Even if it's hard to get a Swords Dance or Spore in, it still provides the power of a Life Orb Mach Punch, which can mean the difference between life and death when you're staring down the likes of a fully set up Terrakion. Likewise, a Bullet Seed can take down nearly anything if it gets enough hits, and if the opponent is expecting a Swords Dance after a Spore, they can be in for a rude awakening with a little prediction.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This Breloom is all about raw offense, and it's got a spread to match. Maximizing Speed and Attack is crucial to the success of this set, and the Adamant nature is used to secure KOs with Mach Punch that would otherwise be out of reach. Jolly is an option as well, as it works well to hit some faster defensively-oriented Pokemon with Bullet Seed, or secure the Spore needed to set up. Life Orb gives this set much-needed power, as it's very much a "kill or be killed" kind of set. However, Lum Berry can open up some options for sweeping where Life Orb wouldn't, especially when the only option for setting up is getting a Swords Dance against something spamming Scald.</p>

<p>As this set aims to sweep, it is of the utmost importance that faster Fighting resists are eliminated. Again, Gothitelle can be an extremely potent ally, as its high Special Defense can allow it to eliminate some potential threats, such as Celebi, Tornadus-T, Starmie, and Latios. Entry hazards are also once again incredibly important, as even with a Technician boost, Mach Punch is still only 60 Base Power. Deoxys-D is probably the best and most efficient spiker in the metagame, especially for offensive teams, which are the most likely to use a Breloom set like this one. Finally, U-turn or Volt Switch users can be extremely effective, as they can help bring Breloom in at the perfect time when it is most likely to sweep effectively.</p>

<p>While not its most effective set, Scarf Breloom can be quite the potent threat. Boasting the fastest sleep in OU, as well as an incredibly powerful Bullet Seed, Breloom can shut down a number of threats that can otherwise be troublesome to deal with. It can also spread paralysis with Force Palm since Low Sweep's main utility is offset by Choice Scarf, or it can surprise some especially quick foes with Scarf Low Sweep, such as Scarfed variants of fast Pokemon like Latios. Finally, Stone Edge caps off its coverage and makes it an effective Pokemon for dealing with and eliminating Tornadus-T and Dragonite.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set is very straightforward, and it has an EV spread to match. Offense is maximized, and a Jolly nature allows Breloom to outspeed every Pokemon below 130 base Speed, which has dwindled as an important speed tier. Move-wise, it's also very straightforward. All of Breloom's other move options are rather low power, especially Mach Punch, which is extremely redundant with that Choice Scarf, and there's little else in the movepool that goes well with the set.</p>

<p>As with every Breloom set, Gothitelle can unlock its true offensive potential by busting through Pokemon that would otherwise counter Breloom. It also appreciates entry hazards, which can help this relatively weak Breloom set secure some important OHKOs and 2HKOs. Other than that, however, this Breloom needs very little coddling, playing much more of a supportive role than other sets.</p>

<p>This set is a blast from the past. While 60 / 80 / 60 defenses may not seem like the most effective, Breloom's incredible defensive typing makes it more than capable of taking hits from some top Pokemon in OU. Combine this with the buff to sleep in Generation 5, as well as Poison Heal and Substitute, and Breloom can easily prove itself to be far tougher to kill than its stat spread would suggest.</p>

<p>Spore is a must-have on pretty much every Breloom set, as it is the only 100% accuracy sleep move in the game, and with Generation 5's sleep mechanics, a Pokemon put to sleep often might as well be KOed. Leech Seed goes a long way to bolster Breloom's survivability, allowing it to wear down opponents while simultaneously refilling its own life. Substitute compounds this by allowing Breloom to scout switches and stall out Pokemon affected by Leech Seed. It also works especially well on this set due to the significant healing from Leech Seed and Poison Heal. Finally, Focus Punch rounds out the set. Even though this set has no offensive investment, it still reaches 296 Attack, and when that's combined with a STAB 150 Base Power attack like Focus Punch, it gives a defensive set like this one some vicious power.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The defensive investment on this set makes it surprisingly durable. It can take many U-turns in the metagame with ease, and its resistance to Volt Switch also pays off, making Breloom an excellent counter to VoltTurn chains. 236 HP EVs give Breloom 320 HP, which is divisible by 8, giving it maximum healing from Poison Heal. Defense is maximized, and then the rest is put into Speed.</p>

<p>This set does have a number of notable counters that need to be eliminated to function optimally. Gliscor is incredibly hard to deal with for this set, as Poison Heal makes it immune to Spore and counteracts Leech Seed's damage. It also resists Focus Punch, and takes barely any damage from it. As such, it's important to have a teammate that can either deal with it or lure it in and kill it. Expert Belt Landorus is especially effective as a teammate since it can lure in Gliscor and dispatch it with Hidden Power Ice. It can also deal with another major counter, Celebi, with U-Turn. Additionally, Mamoswine sometimes carries Icicle Spear, which will break through the Substitute and prevent Focus Punch from going off.</p>

<p>While the previous set is more defensively oriented, this set is all power. A Max Attack Adamant Focus Punch from Breloom is one of the most vicious attacks in the game, capable of OHKOing most anything that doesn't resist it, and even 2HKOing many Pokemon that do. While this set sacrifices durability somewhat, the increased offensive power and additional coverage makes it much more threatening offensively.</p>

<p>Spore is here as always, as sleep allows Breloom to set up for free while also incapacitating whatever the opponent switches in. Substitute gives Breloom the buffer that it needs to fire off its powerful STAB Focus Punch, and works well with Poison Heal to heal off the damage. Focus Punch turns Breloom's targets into a fine red mist, and is a huge part of why this set is so threatening behind a Substitute. The last move is used to provide coverage and give Breloom a way to attack without a Substitute up. Seed Bomb is secondary STAB, and also allows Breloom to do incredible damage to threatening opponents such as Gastrodon, Hippowdon, and Sableye. It also hits Jellicent, which is immune to Focus Punch. Stone Edge is most notable for eliminating Tornadus-T, but is also effective for taking down Dragonite and Salamence. Facade is the most powerful third option after the boost from Poison, and does solid damage to Gliscor, Landorus-T, Celebi, and Latias, but leaves Breloom entirely helpless against Ghost-types.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread on this set is simple. Attack is maximized for optimal damage output, and 12 HP gives Breloom an HP value divisible by 8 for Poison Heal. The rest is placed into Speed in order to allow Breloom to outspeed uninvested base 100s, as well as some uninvested or low-investment mid-speed Pokemon such as Rotom-W, Dragonite, and Heatran.</p>

<p>As with all Breloom sets, Gliscor and Celebi give this set hell. Expert Belt Landorus is an amazing partner for this reason, as it can potentially lure both of them by bluffing Choice Scarf Earthquake and then dispatching them with Hidden Power Ice and U-turn, respectively. There are also a number of Pokemon that can cause problems depending on the choice of third attack. Without Stone Edge, Dragonite can be a major issue, so pairing Breloom up with something that can eliminate Dragonite is a good idea. Landorus fits this bill nicely, and Bronzong can do the same while also providing Stealth Rock for the team. With Facade, it's important to have a check to Ghost-types, as it leaves Breloom completely unable to damage them. As such, including a strong Pursuit user on your team such as Tyranitar or Scizor can be important.

[OTHER OPTIONS]

<p>While Breloom does pack a bit of a move kiddy-pool, it's still got a couple of useful options. Even with Technician, Superpower is the second most powerful Fighting-type move that Breloom has, only weaker than Focus Punch. However, it can also be a bit of a liability, as it weakens Breloom and renders it more susceptible to revenge killing, as well as forcing it to switch more often. Wake-Up Slap is a cute gimmick, especially with Technician. It's still got 90 base power, but when used against a sleeping opponent it gets bumped up to 120. This makes it gimmicky but semi-effective to finish off sleeping opponents quickly, though it's almost always outclassed by both Low Sweep and Force Palm, which provide far more immediate utility. Rock Tomb is potentially usable, but its low 75 Base Power after Technician makes it a questionable choice for any serious set. Finally, there's double powder. While paralysis is incredibly crippling, and Spore does tend to force switches, it's better to leave the powdering to Amoonguss, which is far more cut out for it. Breloom doesn't need to double powder—once it Spores something, it can move on to killing off bigger and better things.</p>

[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]

<p>Technician and Poison Heal Breloom have largely different counters, but there are some notable common ones. Celebi is the ultimate counter—not only does it outspeed Breloom, but it also resists both of its STABs, has Natural Cure to heal off Spore, commonly carries Psychic or Hidden Power Ice to dispatch Breloom, and is essentially impossible for Breloom to break down. Along the same lines, Amoonguss is extremely bulky, resists both STABs, and can simply switch out to heal off all of the damage it takes. On top of that, its super effective Poison STAB easily eliminates Breloom. Latias is faster, can hit it hard with Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor, and resists both STABs. However, it's a bit riskier, as Life Orb variants can use Low Sweep to slow it down for Spore, while Choice Band has a chance to simply 2HKO it with Low Sweep after Stealth Rock. Finally, Gengar is a terror to all Breloom sets, resisting Bullet Seed and being immune to Mach Punch, Low Sweep, and Focus Punch. However, it has to be careful, as not only will Spore ruin its day, but its defenses are fairly low, and enough hits from Bullet Seed can put Gengar down for good.</p>

<p>On to the Technician-specific counters. Volcarona is one of the most notable ones, as not only does it resist Mach Punch and Low Sweep, but also has a double resistance to Bullet Seed, and can passively burn Breloom with Flame Body. However, Volcarona needs to be especially careful of Spore or Stone Edge after a Low Sweep or on the switch, so it's not foolproof. Mamoswine is faster than Breloom (guaranteed with Jolly) and can outspeed its Mach Punch with a super effective STAB Ice Shard. However, Adamant varieties can be outsped by Jolly Breloom, so when relying on Mamoswine to deal with Breloom, Jolly is a necessity. Tornadus-T is another extremely potent counter, as it not only resists both STABs and can dispatch it with either Air Slash or Hurricane, but it also outspeeds Adamant Breloom even at -1. It also can use Sleep Talk with almost any of its moves to KO Breloom even through Spore. Finally, Skarmory is a semi-unreliable counter. It can deal with Swords Dance variants if need be due to its high defense, but it can't switch into Low Sweep from the attacking set.</p>

<p>Poison Heal sets rely almost exclusively on Substitute, and as a result, multi-hit moves can be troublesome. Mamoswine tops this list, as its Icicle Shard can chew through Substitute and cancel Focus Punch for the defensive variant, while it has a chance to outright KO offensive variants. However, if it fails to OHKO, it is in danger of either Spore or Seed Bomb from the offensive version. Gliscor is extremely troublesome, as Poison Heal variants are immune to Spore and take a pittance from Focus Punch and neutral Seed Bomb. Tornadus-T makes another appearance here due to Sleep Talk, though Stone Edge from the offensive variant can cause problems. Finally, Tentacruel is trouble for the defensive set due to Liquid Ooze. While it can't exactly take Focus Punches all day, it can whittle away at Breloom with its own Leech Seed or Rapid Spin it off, and its resistance to Focus Punch does give it much more of a fighting chance.</p>